The emotion of Mr Brightside winning the All-Star Mile led to one of his owners buying a $440,000 colt who is now the 2024 Victoria Derby favourite

In a head-spinning 10 minutes after Mr Brightside’s All-Star Mile win last year, one of his owners bought a $440,000 colt who is now the favourite for this year’s Victoria Derby.

Mr Brightside combining with Luke Currie to win the 2023 All-Star Mile. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

Mr Brightside is the horse who changes lives.

It can now be revealed the surging emotion of his $5m All-Star Mile win last year sparked an incredible $440,000 purchase only minutes later, which turned out to be the 2024 Group 1 Victoria Derby current favourite Red Aces.

Darren Harland is one of Mr Brightside’s owners in the “Fighting Cowboys’ syndicate, named to honour the late boxer Dwight “The Fighting Cowboy” Ritchie who tragically passed away in 2019 after a routine sparring session with boxing star Michael Zerafa.

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Harland is mates with Flemington trainer and former jockey Nick Ryan.

In the days before Mr Brightside’s All-Star Mile triumph at The Valley last year, Ryan widely sent out an email advertising shares in a young Dundeel colt.

Harland liked the look of it – and so did his wife Heidi – but he quickly deleted the email when he spotted the $440,000 asking price.

Red Aces emerged as a Victoria Derby contender after winning the Byerley Handicap last month. Picture: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

Fast forward to the madcap moments after Mr Brightside scored the mega-rich All-Star Mile.

“We had just won the race and it was the best day, I was walking up to the owners’ bar to celebrate and I ran into Nick Ryan,” Harland said.

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“Nick was delighted as his good mate Luke Currie had just ridden Mr Brightside to win.

“I gave Nick a hug and a kiss on the head and I asked if he still had that colt and how much he had left of it to sell.

“He said the whole lot still left.

“I was so high on adrenaline, I said I would take the lot.

“It all happened before I had even got to the owners’ bar to get a photo with the All-Star Mile trophy.

“A few days later I got a fright when I realised I had bought all of the horse, I was stuck with this big bill as I had just bought it on emotion.

Two of Mr Brightside's owners – Darren Harland (left) and plumber Brendan “Butch” Carson (right). Picture: Supplied

“So I started to sell it off to some mates and family, Nick Ryan kept some of it, and me and the Fighting Cowboys kept the rest of it.

“Without Mr Brightside winning that day, we wouldn’t have Red Aces.

“Mr Brightside has changed our lives in more ways than one.”

Red Aces has only had two starts but exhilarating success in the Byerley Handicap (1800m) last month earned him a ballot exemption into the Group 1 Victoria Derby over 2500m at Flemington in November.

TAB fixed odds now has Red Aces at the $6 equal favourite with Godolphin colt Broadsiding for the Derby.

Red Aces earns a spot in the 2024 Victoria Derby for winning the Byerley Handicap at Flemington 👏 @[e-mail]/M2UmXTPbsZ

— Racing.com (@Racing) July 20, 2024

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Meanwhile, Mr Brightside resumes in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday where the remarkable journey continues for his group of owners.

Harland, who has a colourful past but now works in mental health rehabilitation, can’t wait.

“Mr Brightside has shown us all the real high side of racing,” Harland said.

“Now he rolls up to the Memsie on Saturday and we are all talking about him again.

“He is just an amazing horse and he has trialled incredibly.

“His spring program this year probably enables him to have an even better shot at the Cox Plate, he was only narrowly beaten by Romantic Warrior last year.

“There is also talk that Red Aces could run in the Caulfield Guineas.

“If Red Aces wins the Guineas or runs a place, we will be talking about sending him to the Cox Plate as well, with a light weight.”

Originally published as The emotion of Mr Brightside winning the All-Star Mile led to one of his owners buying a $440,000 colt who is now the 2024 Victoria Derby favourite